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By Moses Ayolo
NAKAPIRIRITI: The Kadama Cultural elders in Moruita sub county in Nakapiripirit district, Karamoja sub region have threatened to take vigorous action including cursing the few educated Karimojong civil servants working in Nakapiripirit district who are trying to interfere with the on going establishment of International University of East Africa in the sub county.
Two months ago the community in Moruita sub county together with elders leased out 7,000 acres of land to the University to set up a faculty of Agriculture.
The construction of the University in the area is in high gear, however some group of people led by Francis Lokiru are questioning the criteria that the elders used to allocate the land to the University. Lotyang with others claim there was need for proper dialogue between the University management with the elders and the youth.
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But Gregory Loyele the LC3 chairperson of Moruita sub county said their elders council allocated the land to the University and that minutes are already available at the sub county and district land board
Loyele said the community of Kadama will never let the opportunity that will change their lives to go because of the interest of shortlisted individuals.
“First of all we are hearing that some people are complaining but who are they, this land is for Kadama people who have accepted to have a university and this land is leased for 49years”- Loyele says
The Kadama is a minority community living on the slopes of Mt Kadama in Nakapiripirit district. According to Loyele who’s now aged 78years, the University has already given five slots scholarship to children of Moruita.
Lonyes Kiyonga the district LCV councilor for Moruita sub county says people who are trying to interfere with the establishment of the University are the same people who sold land in Komacharine village in Moruita at Shs420m and mismanaged it.
He further says instead of the district allocating 65% of the money to the sub county account, they only gave Shs40million and the rest of the money was abused.
According to Lonyes, the support that International University of East Africa has given to the people of Moruita was great and already the first slot of students doing agricultural science are at the university now one year.
“This is the University which has given ten scholarship slots to the children of Moruita, this is the University which is supporting farmers with commercial agriculture using electronic machines without using fuel, this is the University which is creating jobs for the people of Nakapiripirit and whoever is fighting it should swallow their pride”-Lonyes says.
Muzee Teko Lotyang, another elder says the people who are trying to fight against the establishment of the University are the enemy of development.
“We are going to deal with them, we shall not accept them to block this opportunity”-Mzee Teko lashes out at those fighting the project.
According to Teko, Kadama community has the highest rate of illiteracy and establishing a University in Nakapiripirit would improve the level of education among the children of Karamoja.
Goreti Chepto an elderly woman and a resident of Komacharin village urged everyone to disassociate themselves with the group of people who are claiming that the land was sold.
“Until when shall we continue being in an under developed area, I didn’t go to school but my children are at school, I spend much money for transporting my child to Kampala to attend school but if this school is here it would help us and our children”-she appeals.
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